Monday, 6 December 2010

Don Meredith

Don Meredith, an all-pro quarterback who wrote himself into legendary status after he finished playing, passed away on Sunday at a Santa Fe, new Mexico hospital according to a spokesman. Meredith was 72. At the present time, the cause of death is unconfirmed. Meredith who was known by "Dandy Don", was part of the first Monday Night Football broadcast when the program started in 1970 on ABC.

At that time, virtually no NFL games appeared in prime time, and many at the time thought it would fail because - wait for it, wait for it - women who controlled the TV set at night would not want to watch football. (Digital video recorders could have solved a lot during such TV gender wars.) But in a then-unprecedented three-man broadcast booth, Meredith and Howard Cosell - joined by Keith Jackson the first year and Frank Gifford (above at right) after that - created a broadcast unlike any other.

So a tragic day for friends and family of the broadcaster and ex player but plenty of famous memories will be left behind of the man.